Double-amputee now has mortgage-free, accessible place to call his own

Marine Staff Sgt. Bradley Lang and his family received the keys to their new home Saturday from Homes for Our Troops. Lang lost both of his legs above the knee and fractured his pelvis when he stepped on an improvised explosive device while serving in Afghanistan in July 2011.

Don Bryan / Jacksonville Daily News

By Matthew Adkins / Jacksonville Daily News

Published: Tuesday, April 9, 2013 at 07:44 PM.

STELLA — For injured veteran Bradley Lang, receiving the keys to a new house means he can once again be comfortable in his own home.

Exactly six months after the initial groundbreaking ceremony, a crowd of veterans and supporters cheered and gave a standing ovation as the Marine staff sergeant was presented by Homes for our Troops with a house located in the Forest Ridge subdivision in Stella.

According to Lang, receiving the gift not only means his family has an accessible place to live, it also allows him to be independent and lead a productive civilian life.

“There are really no words that can express how much this means to us,” Lang said.

Homes for our Troops is a national non-profit organization that provides custom-built houses for severely injured veterans. The homes are mortgage-free and are intended to provide financial and emotional security to those who have served our country.

Lang was injured on July 2011 in Afghanistan while on a mission to safely dispose of an improvised explosive device. After disabling two bombs in the same area, he stepped on an unidentified pressure-plate mechanism and suffered the amputations of both of his legs. Lang was able to use his EOD training to direct his team to safely remove him from the blast site while they performed life-saving measures.

Despite taking fire from insurgents when flying out of the hostile area, he was airlifted to Camp Bastion and given emergency surgery. Once stable, he was transport to Landstuhl, Germany, where he endured even more surgeries. After four weeks of intensive care, Lang awoke in a hospital bed in Bethesda, Md.

STELLA — For injured veteran Bradley Lang, receiving the keys to a new house means he can once again be comfortable in his own home.

Exactly six months after the initial groundbreaking ceremony, a crowd of veterans and supporters cheered and gave a standing ovation as the Marine staff sergeant was presented by Homes for our Troops with a house located in the Forest Ridge subdivision in Stella.

According to Lang, receiving the gift not only means his family has an accessible place to live, it also allows him to be independent and lead a productive civilian life.

“There are really no words that can express how much this means to us,” Lang said.

Homes for our Troops is a national non-profit organization that provides custom-built houses for severely injured veterans. The homes are mortgage-free and are intended to provide financial and emotional security to those who have served our country.

Lang was injured on July 2011 in Afghanistan while on a mission to safely dispose of an improvised explosive device. After disabling two bombs in the same area, he stepped on an unidentified pressure-plate mechanism and suffered the amputations of both of his legs. Lang was able to use his EOD training to direct his team to safely remove him from the blast site while they performed life-saving measures.

Despite taking fire from insurgents when flying out of the hostile area, he was airlifted to Camp Bastion and given emergency surgery. Once stable, he was transport to Landstuhl, Germany, where he endured even more surgeries. After four weeks of intensive care, Lang awoke in a hospital bed in Bethesda, Md.

“Joining the Marine Corps was about more than ensuring freedom,” Lang said. “It was about protecting my son, your children, and the children of the future so that they are kept from making the sacrifices so many others have made”

According to Lang’s good friend and former commanding officer, Greg Wrubelski, the manner in which the Lang family and their surrounding community banded together after the disaster has inspired him during his own struggles post-deployment.

“The way they attacked a devastating situation transcends words,” Wrubelski said. “There’s never been any bitterness, any anger. It’s always been moving forward.”

Shortly before officially receiving the key to the house, Lang’s wife, Alyssa, said the tragedy brought the couple closer together.

“I remember being so angry. I kept thinking why did this happen to Brad?” she said. “But with the exception of the pain and suffering, this is quite possibly the best thing that has happened to us. It brought us closer as a family, closer as a couple, and made us better parents. So for that, I am very thankful.”

Alyssa Lang was also able to provide a bit of levity during the key ceremony.

“The house is designed for Brad to live in by himself,” she said. “There are no barriers for him now, which translates to no excuses for taking out the garbage or doing the dishes.”

For more information about the project, visit homesforourtroops.org/bradleylang.